EU approves Russia’s WTO membership

The European Commission and Russia today (21 October) resolved the last remaining issues holding up the EU’s approval of Russia’s membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

“We have struck a deal on the final outstanding bilateral issues, leaving the way open for Russia to join the WTO by the end of this year,” said Karel De Gucht, the European commissioner for trade. “This understanding will help to protect EU jobs in the car and car components’ industry from moving to Russia,” he said.

However, Georgia - a member of the WTO - has said that it will block Russia's bid to join the trade body.

“There is now very little time left to reach a bilateral agreement between Georgia and Russia. I call on both parties to continue their efforts to find a solution in a spirit of compromise,” De Gucht said.

Among the bilateral issues resolved today were Russia’s investment regime for car manufacturing; flying rights over Siberia; wood export quotas; and rules on the export of EU foodstuffs to Russia.

Russia hopes that WTO trade ministers will approve its membership at their next conference, in Geneva in December. It began negotiating joining the WTO in the early 1990s.